Getting a teaching job through an Alternate Route Program is a great option for aspiring teachers who did not complete a formal teacher education from an accredited college or university. Follow these steps to increase your chances of securing a teaching job through an alternate route program.
Alternate Route Program Application Process
1. The first step is for you to apply for a CE or Certificate of Eligibility from the Office of Licensure and Academic Credentials or OLC. Ensure all your documents will be duly received by the licensing office so the examiner can review them. The waiting time for your CE application will not commence until the office receives all the needed documentation.
You are required to furnish the office with a notarized and duly completed Oath of Allegiance and pay the corresponding fee. For non – US citizens, Non-Citizen Oath, an affidavit will have to be submitted along with the other required documents.
2. The next step is to acquire a Certificate of Eligibility and accept employment that is issued after you meet all the requirements for your endorsement.
The certificate of eligibility will allow you to look for and accept work from a learning institution that requires certification. After all the requirements for certification have been completed, the Office of Licensure and Academic Credentials issue the certificate of eligibility and mail it to your residential address.
3. After you find employment in teaching through the alternate route program, you need to enroll in the Provisional Teacher Program. A provisional teaching certificate will be issued after completing the program, which is good for two years. The Provisional Teacher Program is a school-based evaluation and training program provided during the first year of holding a teaching position. It’s your employer’s (learning institution’s) responsibility to have their new teachers complete the program.
4. You need to meet all the mentoring requirements and formal instruction prerequisites. A teaching colleague must supervise and evaluate your performance after the mentoring period while working as an alternate route teacher. You also need to attend the formal instruction needed for the certificate you are applying for.
5. Before you can become a fully certified teacher through an alternate route program, you need to complete the Provisional Teacher Program and be awarded a standard teaching certificate. This will, of course, be issued by the Office of Licensure and Academic Credentials. The standard certificate is proof you have met and completed all the requirements and training for a teaching position.
Today, even non-education graduates can seek employment in the education sector through the alternate route program. All you need is to complete the requirements, finish the program, and you will be a certified teacher in less than the time it would take you to complete a bachelor’s degree in education.
There are many strategies to start a teaching career, and using the alternate route is one of them.
We work with a lot of clients seeking a teaching position through the Alternate Route Certification Program. If you need help, we are just a phone call or email away.
